The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band is in a battle to protect sacred Juristic site from the proposed Sargent Ranch Quarry. Juristic (“Place of the Big Head in Mutsun language) is the center of ancestral homeland near Gilroy, CA. Historically the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band are survivors of the destructive power and authority of Mission San Juan Bautista and Mission Santa Cruz. And the proposed mining development of the Juristac is the modern day continuation of these inhumane and unjust policies.

A San Diego-based investment group applied for the permit from Santa Clara County to establish 403 acre sand and gravel mining operation. Three open-pit quarry sites 250 deep and 62 acre processing plant and 1.6 mile conveyor belt are proposed for the site. A 60 day public comment period ends on September 26^th, 2022 with over 20,000 people signing the Amah Mutsun petitions and numerous officials and community leaders supporting Juristac.

According to the Santa Clara County Draft Environmental Impact Report there will be multiple significant and unavoidable harmful impacts such as biological resources, air quality, traffic and tribal resources (sacred sites), and is eligible for California Register of Historical Resources. The mining would also eliminate habitat for the California red-legged frog and California tiger salamander, both federally-listed threatened species. The loss of grasslands would also impact the American badger, and birds of prey that forage in the area such as the Golden Eagle, Northern Harrier, Prairie Falcon and Burrowing Owl.

“Juristac is the heart of Amah Mutsun spiritually and culture, and an open-pit sand and gravel mine would forever desecrate this sacred place,” said Valentin Lopez chair of Amah Mutsun Tribal Band.

 

http://www.protectjuristac.org/